The invention relates to a universal carding machine for the optional production of either longitudinally fibred fleeces or tangle-fibred fleeces, having a main cylinder and associated carding elements, and also comprising a fibre intake mechanism and a doffer roller.
Such carding machines are well-known in the art and are used to manufacture longitudinally oriented fibre fleece. In another type of textile machines for the production of randomly oriented fibre fleece, a drum following the main cylinder leads to an irregular or random pattern of the fibres by compaction (Melliand Textile Reports 6/1969, page 626). In such a machine, the compacting drum is larger than the doffer roller, and it is not possible to produce longitudinally oriented fibre fleeces with such a machine.
It is also well-known in the art to produce tangled fleeces with the aid of centrifugal forces in small rollers.
It is an object of the invention to provide a universal textile or carding machine, in which both longitudinally oriented and randomly oriented fibre fleeces may be manufactured.